Splint-carrier.



rrNrTEn sTArEs l PATENT orrroE.

HERBERT W. srELLMAN, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AssroNoR To AMERI- oAN MATCHMANUFACTURING ,ooi/TPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y., A ooR- PORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907 Application filed May 26, 1906. Serialdlo.318.867.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT W. SPELL- MAN, a citizen oi the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Newark, county of Essex, State ofNew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSplint-Carriers, of which the following` is a speciiication, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in splint-carriers, andparticularly to improvements in carriers arranged to support and carrysplints in the manufacture oi matches.

My invention consists in the combination with a suitable support of aplurality of individual splintgrippers, 'each comprising a tube,preferably split, arranged substantially rigid throughout, except forone portion which is fashioned so as to form a resilient finger with asubstantially ilat sharp edge inclined in the direction in which thesplintis' introduced into the' tube, so that the said edge will pressagainst the side of the splint to hold it with yielding pressure against.the opposite wall oi' the tube and to act as a catch to prevent returnmovement of the splint, while readilyyielding to allow the splint to beintroduced and expelled.

In order that my invention may be thoroughly understood, I will nowdescribe the same in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawingsillustrating an embodiment thereof, and will then point out the novelfeatures in claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of a splint-carrierembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view partially in side elevationthereof and partially in central longitudinal section therethrough. Fig.3 is a top view, on a larger scale, of a portion of the carrier, with apart of the cover-plate removed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional viewsubstantially upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlargedsectional view substantially upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is aview in perspective of one of the individual tubes removed from itssupport,

The support for the individual grippers herein comprises upper and lowerplates and 11, supported by links 12. Rivets and spacing-thimbl es 13secure the two plates together and maintain them a proper distanceapart. The individual grippers comprise each a tube composed of twomembers, one

member, 14, being semitubular throughout and formed with a i'lange 15 atits upper end, the other member, 16, being semitubular for a portion ciits length only and provided at its upper end with lugs 17 Near itslower end the metal is cut away, so as to form a narrow tongue 18, whichis ilattened substantially throughout its length, and at about one-thirdthe distance from the end is bent, as at 19, so that the portion 20 willincline inwardly toward the opposite member 14. The plates 10 and 1 1are suitably provided with corresponding orifices arranged inline witheach other to receive the two members 14 an d 16, comprising theindividual splint-tubes, the said members being iitted quite accuratelyto the two said oriiices and forced down therethrough until the ilangesand 17 rest upon the upper side ofthe top plate 10. To hold the gripperspositively in position, a cover-plate 21 is provided, secured to the topplate 1() by screws 22 or other suitable means, the said plate beingprovided with oriiiccs Z3 in line with the gripper-tubes, said oriiicesbeing 'preferably i'lared outwardly, as shown. Splints to be supportedin the tubes will be inserted therethrough through the openings 23 inthe coverplate 21, being forced downward until the lower ends protrudebeyond the lower end oi the said gripper members. In this position theymay be held for dipping and for other purposes. In Fig. 5 I have shown asplintgripper in section with a splint so held therein, and I `have alsoshown another splintgripper (in side elevation) in a relaxed positionwithout any splint therein. It will be noted that because the tongue 1Sis narrow it is permitted to enter into the hollow oi the semitubularwalls of member 14 when relaxed, and also it will be seen that theinclination of the part is such as to oppose a minimum oi resistance toa splint when it is being inserted or ejected, both insertion andejection taking place in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 5. It willalso be seen, however, that because of the form and inclination oi thechisel-like edge oi the part 20, considerable resistance will be exertedto prevent the splint from moving upward (in a direction opposite to thearrow,) the edge of the tongue 2O having a tendency to enter the wall ofthe splint ii such a movement is attempted. Because of the accurateiitting of the splint- IOO tube to the lower plate 1l the individu-algrippeis as a whole will be held firmly in predetermined positions, theonly movement of any kind permitted being that which is permitted totongue 18, which commences at a point below the said plate. rIhis is anim- .portant feature in that it enables perfect register of the tubes tobe maintained with any other mechanism, such as with thecomposition-applying mechanism or unloading devices. I

What I claim isl. In a splint-carrier the combination with twosupporting-plates spaced apart and having a plurality of correspondingsplint-receiving orifices, of a plurality of individual splintgrippers,comprising tubes fitted to said orifices and rigidly supported by thewalls thereof in both said plates, said tubes having each a fingerresilient at points only beyond said plates.

2. In a splint-carrier the combination with two supporting-plates spacedapart and having a plurality of corresponding splint-receiving orices,of a plurality of individual splintgrippers, comprising tubes fitted tosaid oriiices and rigidly supported by the walls thereof in both saidplates, each said tube formed of two members, the one semicylindricaland rigid throughout its entire length, and the other semicylindricalthroughout a part of its length, and having a relatively narrow tongueportion comprising a springfinger, at a point beyond the said plates.

3. In a splint-carrier the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers comprising independent tubesrigid throughout the major portion of their lengths, and provided eachwith a spring-nger at the lower end thereof.

Li. In a splint-carrier the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers comprising tubes rigidthroughout the major portion of their lengths, the lower end of eachtube comprising a part forming a spring-finger inclined toward theopposite wall and terminating in an abrupt shoulder.

5. In a splint-carrier the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers comprising tubes rigidthroughout the major portion of their lengths, the lower end of eachtube comprising a part forming a spring-finger substantially fiat incross-section, and having a portion inclined toward the opposite wall,and terminating in an abrupt shoulder.

6. In a splint-carrier the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers comprising tubes longitudinallysplit into two members, one said member substantially rigid throughoutits length, the other rigid throughout a part of its length andterminating in a resilient finger whose end inclines toward the othersaid i member.

l 7. In a splint-carrier the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers comprising tubes longitudinallysplit into two members, one said member substantially rigid throughoutits length, the other member rigid throughout a part of its length andhaving throughout the remaining part a resilient portion of reducedwidth inclined toward the first said member, the end of which is adaptedto be received within the conical walls of the first said member.

S. In a splint-carrier, the combination with a suitable support, of aplurality of individual splint-grippers each comprising a tube composedof two members, one said member semicylindrical and rigid throughout itslength, the other member semicylindrical and rigid throughout a portionof its length, the remaining portion being narrowed, substantially flat,and inclined toward the first said member, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of May,1906.

HERBERT W. SPELLMAN.

itnesses z F. M. SEYMOUR, C. A. DOUGHERTY.

